BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL to Make Memphis Premiere at the Orpheum
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 31, 2017
They joined a company that includes Liam Tobin (Gerry Goffin) and Ben Fankhauser (Barry Mann), with Curt Bouril (Don Kirshner) and Suzanne Grodner (Genie Klein). Beautiful-The Carole King Musical, about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter, will make its Memphis premiere at the Orpheum Theatre February 28 - March 5.
"Carole King was only 16 years old when she sold her first song, so in that spirit, we've cast two wildly gifted young performers as BEAUTIFUL'S leading ladies for the second year of the tour," producer Paul Blake said.
"Julia Knitel has been the 'Carole' understudy on Broadway for the last year and has proven how brilliant she is every time she's 'played the role,' which is reinforced by the ovation she gets from audiences - I can't wait for audiences around the country to get to see her in action as 'Carole.'"
"Erika Olson joins the tour as 'Cynthia Weil,' fresh from Carnegie Mellon's prestigious Theater Program. She's talented, spunky and great fun - just like the real Cynthia Weil, the great songwriter and best friend of Carole."
"We welcome both of these talented women to our BEAUTIFUL family and I'm sure audiences around the country will be delighted by their performances."
The ensemble of BEAUTIFUL includes Brianna-Marie Bell, Sarah Bockel, Andrew Brewer, Erin Clemons, Josh A. Dawson, John Michael Dias, Sidney Dupont, Matt Faucher, Rosharra Francis, James Michael Lambert, Traci Elaine Lee, Jay McKenzie, Alaina Mills, Aashley Morgan, Paris Nix, Noah J. Ricketts, Ximone Rose and Salisha Thomas.
With a book by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, Beautiful features a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil.
The creative team of Beautiful also includes Derek McLane (Set Design), Alejo Vietti (Costume Design), Peter Kaczorowski (Lighting Design), Brian Ronan (Sound Design), Charles G. LaPointe (Wig and Hair Design), Steve Sidwell (Orchestrations and Music Arrangements), Jason Howland (Music Supervision) and John Miller (Music Coordination).
Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock 'n' roll. But it wasn't until her personal life began to crack that she finally managed to find her true voice. Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of King's remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.
Tickets are available for purchase online at the official Orpheum Theatre website, www.orpheum-memphis.com, the Orpheum Box Office (901.525.3000), and Ticketmaster (901.743.ARTS). The 2016-2017 Orpheum Broadway Season is generously sponsored by Bank of America and Memphis Area Honda Dealers.
Beautiful-The Carole King Musical opened on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on January 12, 2014, where it continues its record-breaking run. The production won two 2014 Tony Awards as well as the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. A London production opened February 25, 2015 at London's Aldwych Theater, where it continues its run, and has won two Olivier Awards.
Beautiful - The Carole King Musical North American Tour is produced by Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet N. Leve/Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Roger Faxon, Larry Magid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions/Mary Solomon, William Court Cohen, BarLor Productions, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., StylesFour Productions, Brunish/Trinchero, and Jeremiah J. Harris.
The mission of the Orpheum Theatre Group is to enhance the communities we serve by utilizing the performing arts to entertain, educate, and enlighten while preserving the historic Orpheum Theatre and the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education. For more information, visit www.orpheum-memphis.com.
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